I Was Blackmailed Into Accepting Bullying Using My Childhood Friend as Leverage, But When I Found Out My Friend and Bully Were Together, I Abandoned All Compassion and Swore to Take Revenge with Everything I Had - Chapter 10: Novelist Kenichi Fudo

Chapter 10: Novelist Kenichi Fudo

Note: This work contains depictions of violence and sexual content, but it does not promote any of these actions.

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The content of my video call with the minister was soon uploaded to the government’s official social media and website, serving as both promotion for the minister and his political party. It quickly became a hot topic among the public.

I checked the content myself, and it was skillfully edited.

“I see, Fudo-sensei, so you’re still a high school student, and you’ve been writing since middle school. On top of that, you have a stockpile of written works equivalent to ten years’ worth. Truly, you are a genius, a modern literary master.”

“That’s true, but my personal life hasn’t been as happy as the stories in my novels.”

The parts about the bullying I faced at school and the way I was treated at home were well-presented, with the real names carefully omitted.

“We are truly sorry for what you’ve gone through.”

The screen showed the minister bowing his head in apology.

“No, there’s no need for you to apologize, Minister.”

“My role is to ensure that Japan’s educational environment becomes a more meaningful and nurturing place for the young people who will shape our future.”

“Minister, you are a person of such integrity that I wish you would become the future leader of this country.”

The editing was done quite well. The final line of flattery I threw in hit just the right note with the minister’s entourage~.

The next day…

I styled my hair at home using the tips I learned from the hair and makeup artist yesterday, then got into the luxury car provided by the publishing company for my commute to school. 

When I stepped out of the limousine in front of the school gates, I immediately caught the attention of the students arriving at school.

“Hey, isn’t that the author Fudo, the one who just made his first public appearance on a politician’s social media? He’s the hot novelist everyone’s been talking about on Twitter!”

“Yeah, I saw him on social media too! I can’t believe he’s a student at the same high school as us! And he’s super handsome!”

Ignoring the comments, I walked into the classroom. The students who had already arrived looked at me with surprise and confusion, but I ignored them and took my seat. From the corner of the room, I heard some whispers.

“W-Wait… Kenichi Fudo… Is that really Komada-kun?”

“Wait… doesn’t Komada-kun look seriously handsome with his hair styled?”

Even though my appearance had changed, no one approached me because of my earlier announcement to the class telling them not to talk to me.

After a while, my former childhood friend arrived at school. She glanced at me with a surprised expression but, seeing that I wasn’t interested, she quietly sat down at her desk.

Then, just before homeroom started, Iketsuki and his group of followers walked in and took their seats. They kept glancing in my direction, but I decided to ignore them—it was too early in the morning to deal with any trouble.

When the bell rang and the teacher appeared at the podium, my former childhood friend, who was also the class representative, led the morning greeting. I was the only one who didn’t stand or bow, staying in my seat, reading a book.

The teacher, who had been watching me closely, then…

“Ah, oh, Komada-kun, maybe you didn’t hear the command? Haha, Class Rep! Make sure to call out the command a bit louder next time!” 

The teacher’s attempt to curry favor with me was annoying, so I placed my book face down on the desk and glared at them.

“Yeah? I heard the command just fine. I just don’t see any reason to show respect to teachers like you. Do I have any obligation to show respect to anyone associated with this school?”

My irritated tone caused the classroom atmosphere to freeze, and the teacher, with a strained smile, awkwardly muttered something like, “L-Look…”

“Anyway, there’s something you need to announce to everyone, right? How about you get on with it?”

“Oh, r-right… Komada-kun… no, I mean Fudo-kun… uh, due to family circumstances, Komada-kun’s surname has been changed to Fudo. Please take note, everyone.”

As the classroom buzzed with whispers, I stood up, turned around, and gave my classmates a cold glance.

“From today, I’ll be going by the name Kenichi Fudo. I’m not interested in getting along with any of you, but since whispering behind my back irritates me, I’ll say it upfront: I’m the same Kenichi Fudo who’s a novelist.”

“S-So it’s true! Fudo-kun is the famous best-selling author, Kenichi Fudo-sensei!”

“Oh, and when I say ‘you,’ that includes you teachers as well, so don’t get it twisted. Also, I’m being called to the principal’s office, right? Do I have a visitor?”

The teacher, sweating profusely, silently nodded while wiping their face with a handkerchief.

“Alright then, I’ll be heading out. Please take care of the rest of the explanations.”

With that, I left the classroom and made my way to the principal’s office.

Everything is unfolding just as I imagined. Haha.